The Grass Doctor

growing grass from seeds?

I was wondering if it would be a good idea to spread manure throughout the yard where I am going to plant the grass and then till the dirt? Would that make the grass grow faster and greener? Or would it harm the grass seeds? I am planting centipede grass.

Public Comments

1. Well it would make the soil quality improve. I would actually till it first then put the manure on top that way the grass seedlings can have very fertile dirt to root in. It should make the seedlings grow faster and healthier without any problems. You could also mix manure in for a healthier soil for when the lawn is mature, but I would also recommend putting a small layer on top to rake the seeds into.
2. The manure will help the grass grow faster and greener, and normally tilling would be an excellent idea, but since you're doing it in your yard, you'll want to make sure you smooth it all out after you till it or you'll have a lumpy yard.
3. You have to be sure it's aged manure or you'll burn your grass.
4. Manuring a soil is an old method of applying fertilizer. The secret to success with this method is quite simple; follow soil test recommendations. Collect your soil sample, have it analyzed and use your fertilizer materials appropriately. The primary worry with manure will be odor, application of salts (raises the electrical conductivity) and the over application of phosphorus (an environmental issue that will have little effect on your success as a gardener, etc) Manures also provide significant amounts of organic matter which, when mixed (tilled) into the soil will increase cation exchange capacity, plant available water holding capacity and infiltration rate. The negative aspect of manures are 1) smell (if not composted), 2) disease issues (if not composted), 3) weed seed (if from a ruminant), 4) excessive salt contributions (salt meaning chemical salts, not just sodium chloride), and 5) it is an unbalanced fertilizer (if you use it as a nitrogen source, you'll over apply phosphorus and potassium, if you use it as a potassium source, you will over apply phosphorus and under apply nitrogen, etc, etc). If establishing a yard ALWAYS till in the manure, if the yard is already established, then surface application is the norm.
5. Hi: I agree with the answer on tilling your yard first. The most important part of any project in landscaping is to properly prepare your ground. Till the area first and rake out any debris or other material you don't want. You can spread the manure, as this is a good natural material to help in the development of your lawn. Apply your seeds and put a layer of hay over the seeds. Get into a good watering schedule and you should have a great lawn. I will link you to the outdoor feature section of my website. There is a page on sod versus seed, which may give you some additional information you can use. I will also link you to the site map, as this page has everything that is on the website. Browse through and see if you can find any other tips, techniques or articles that may help you with this or any other landscape project. Good luck to you and have a great day! Kimberly http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Outdoor.html http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Site.html